Memories: A TMNT 2012 Fanfic
by StarsRdreaming
Summary: When A young Donatello finds a worn picture in an old copy of "The Jungle Book" that he slipped into to Splinter's private storage closet to find and brings it to his father, a few painful memories come back to haunt Splinter, it's an unsettling lesson to Donnie, But only because he knows the truth behind the story.


Memories

A TMNT 2012 Fanfic

_10 years prior to events in __Rise of the Turtles_

Splinter sat quietly in his room in meditation, his young turtles were napping in their rooms; at least they were supposed to be. His ears twitched forward and he opened his eyes about halfway, to see one of his young turtles standing there holding a book that he knew he shouldn't have in one hand and in the other a photograph. Splinter sighed and waved the already fidgeting Donatello forward. Donnie walked slowly up to his father looking down at the floor of Splinter's room; he'd broken the rules by sneaking into the storage room and getting the book in the first place. Splinter's ears twitched again as he looked at Donnie.

"What is it you have there, my son?" He did not let his annoyed tone seep into the question he posed to his young son.

"The _Jungle Book." He said as he held it for his father to see. Then he held up the photograph. "But don't think this is posed to be part of da story." _

_Yes, Donnie could talk better than his brothers at this point, but even he still slipped back into the "baby" talk every once in a while. He blinked as Splinter reached and took the photo in his left hand which Donnie noticed was trembling ever so slightly. The young turtle was in a bit of shock at seeing his strong father tremble at a picture. Hamato Yoshi's mind slid back in time, this picture had been taken earlier in the night in which his world ended. The Kanji writing was delicate and light, it belonged to his Tang Shen, he remembered taking it, that was Tang Shen, and Miwa in the back and the little girl laying down reading in the front was Oroku, Kuma, younger sister of Oroku, Saki. Kuma was about 5 in the photo and she had been spending the evening with them._

_He fought back tears but they escaped anyway and he felt a small pair of three fingered hands on his arm. "Papa, I sorry didn't mean to make you cry." Donnie had laid the book beside his father and seeing his tears had come closer to comfort him. Splinter reached over and scooped up the little turtle into his arms giving him a squeeze._

_"It is not your fault Donatello, you were only curious. Shall I read you some of this book?" he held up The Jungle Book. "Or shall I tell you a story of a foolish young man who was blinded by a foolish heart?" He looked down at the gap-toothed turtle in his arms. Donnie giggled a bit as a tear dropped from his father's muzzle onto his own nose. The curious little turtle was trying to read his father's emotions not really understanding them his curious nature wanted to know why Splinter was crying, and how this book and picture fit in with the reaction._

_"You tell story, I read book later." He grinned and got comfortable. Splinter waited till Donnie got comfortable then he proceeded to tell his story._

_"I was a young man when I first met Kuma. She and my beloved Tang Shen were reading in the garden in front of Tang Shen's home. This…" he lifted up the book beside him. "Is what they were reading. Kuma had bought it for Tang Shen from an old book shop." Splinter placed it back at his side and readjusted the little turtle. By this time another head had poked itself around the door to the room. A head that was freckled and much smaller than Donnie's. Splinter motioned Mikey inside and to a pillow beside him. Michelangelo scuttled in with his orange blanket and tattered stuffed kitten, flopping on the pillow to listen too._

_"And so, the young ninja sat beside them in the garden and lay back against a rock to listen as well." Splinter had tactfully switched his storytelling to third person for a reason that puzzled the young Donatello, but he soon let that slip away as splinter continued his story._

"The trio had quite a few adventures over the next few years but, the little "mouse" always slipped off near dark, and returned the next day quietly. The young ninja never questioned where she went to, only when she would be back. But one day he followed her to her home." Splinter paused and motioned to the door where another head had appeared, this one had a body attached to it as if it had been trying to slip into the room unseen, in this turtle's hand rested a non-mutated box turtle. Splinter smiled as Raphael gave a shy smile and hurried in stealing Mikey's pillow and blanket. Splinter gave a disapproving glare and Raph gave it back sheepishly, before scurrying over to a pile and snatching up his own blanket and one of the worn pillows then settled down with the box turtle on his head. Splinter smiled and continued.

"As he followed the "mouse", anger started to mount in his foolish heart." There was a small gasp from the turtles, especially Donnie. After all, he couldn't figure out what the "mouse" did wrong. All she was doing was going home. Splinter cleared his throat as the gasp became a small murmur between Mikey & Raph and they quieted completely when they heard Leonardo from the door.

"Kin I come in too?" He looked a bit saddened as if he'd been left out of some great discussion.

"Course you can big brother!" Mikey ran over and snatched Leo a pillow and a blanket. Leo grinned and hugged his "baby" brother as he plopped down cross legged on the pillow wrapping the blanket around him... "So wuh did I miss?" Donnie recapped the story so far using Master Splinter's third person variant.

"Dat's where we are Leo now shush so Papa can finish." Donnie picked up the book without really paying attention to what he was doing and held it close to him.

Splinter smiled at his young sons. So eager and bright, it once again brought a small pang of sadness to him. Kuma had been just that way at their age, so eager for a story. Splinter figured she and Donatello would have gotten along well. Donnie tugged on his robes to get his attention.

"Why was the ninja getting angry?" Donnie asked his eyes sparkling up at Splinter's own. "Mouse hadn't done anything wrong she was just goin' home right!?"

"No, Mouse hadn't done anything wrong, but the ninja had walked this path many times. It was a path he had walked himself for many years before the little mouse had, it was a path that lead to his friend turned enemy's house." Splinter paused a moment more as if gathering himself he let the boys whisper among themselves. Once they settled back down he continued. " Furious after seeing the girl greet his enemy with a hug and kiss on the cheek, he ran for home and slammed his hand down cursing the stars and spirits for letting this traitorous girl get close to his beloved, for surely she would work for her brother to get his beloved to fall for him. It was then he knew what he must do. The next day at the usual time the little girl came hopping out of the woods, when she saw him she hurried over and wrapped her arms around the ninja. To her shock he pushed her away. Her soft icy blue eyes blinked as she tried to figure what she had done to make him angry. She finally decided to go around him carrying the book she had brought for his beloved to read to her. He stepped into her way and pushed her back the way she had come from. "She does not want to see you today, Kuma. Go home to your brother." Kuma now knew why he was upset with her. To him, she was with the enemy. Holding back the tears threatening to fall she nodded, and quickly wrote something in the cover of the book and offered it to him.

"Please give to Onee-chan, and no read." Her voice was trembling but not breaking proving great strength was behind it. His heart felt a bit guilty as he took it and nodded watching her turn on her heels an bolt back into the small bit of forest where she'd come from. The ninja's kunoichi was just coming out of her house as he turned to enter. She looked silently at him then down at the book and back to him. "Where has Kuma gone?" she asked quietly reaching for the book.

He swallowed hard for the moment not getting this far in his plan, feeling the book being removed from his hand he let it drop from the book and turned his head, looking back through the wood. "She was summoned home, and will not return due to a request of her brother. At least that's what she told me." The kunoichi nodded, opening the book.

"HE LIED!" Donnie's eyes got huge with a mixture of emotions and with tears, streaming from them he sprang from Splinter's lap still clutching The Jungle Book; hurried over to the pile of blankets in the corner and curled up in the middle of them. Burying himself under them he was crying uncontrollably. It had never occurred to this small turtle that his father could lie to someone. He wondered if Splinter had lied to them, and this made him cry harder. The ever-sensitive Mikey, drug his own blanket and pillow over to the pile of "crying blankets" and put his arm around it. Raph blinked in confusion, what was so bad about lying to someone? He'd done it a few times.

"Is there more ta the story papa?" Leo asked, sitting up on his legs and letting the blanket wrapped around him fall to floor of the room.

Splinter nodded. "Much more my son, after all many lessons we learn start off in falling for lies." He looked towards the pile of blankets. "Donatello do you wish me to continue?" The blankets bobbed in a yes motion as the crying had simmered down to sniffles.

Splinter twitched his ears as a small spray of dust came from above him and shimmered down over his robes he made a mental note to clean up there later, so the rodents and what not that scurried through would not knock things like this down, then he continued his story. "By the time the ninja had turned back from looking the way that Kuma had gone, his beloved had got to the door of her home, and was turning to shut the door. The ninja started to follow and was stopped; his beloved's eye was locked on him. "I'm sorry my love, you may not come inside at this time I do not want to see you." she closed the door and walked away leaving the ninja, outside the door as the skies started to pour rain down across the city.


End file.
